The University of Central Florida College of Medicine recently announced that it received a $200,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). This study is a strong indicator that Teknik Digital Arts, Inc. (TKNK.OB) is focusing on the right business sector.
The UCF College of Medicine was one of 12 research teams that received first round funding from Health Games Research, which is based at the University of California at Santa Barbara. The RWJR program was established to enhance the available data related to the development and use of interactive games to achieve improved health benefits. The UCF team will study how role-playing games can help prevent people aged 18 to 65 who have a history of alcohol abuse from relapsing.
Debra Lieberman, director of the Health Games Research Program, stated “This groundbreaking study led by the UCF College of Medicine will identify new interactive behavioral health strategies to use in the design of future health games and technologies. Together, the 12 studies funded in this round will help us better understand how people respond to various types of health games, and this will potentially lead to new game-based applications that can more effectively engage and motivate players to improve their health.”
Over 100 research organizations applied to participate in the first round of the research program. The second round of applications will start in January 2009 and will provide up to $2 million in grant funds. All 12 of the first round grantees will receive continued assistance and research resources throughout their studies.
The Teknik XR Station is a physically-interactive, isometric-based video controller that can be connected to any Xbox™, Sony PlayStation2®, GameCube™, or PC-based game. The plug-and-play capability of the controller allows players to immerse themselves in their favorite game. Players can burn up to 250 calories per hour on the system, which allows the user to adjust the intensity level from 5 pounds of resistance to 100 pounds of resistance.
With continuing research on methods to improve our nation’s level of health, it appears that Teknik’s interactive gaming system fits the niche that the study is focusing upon.
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